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Anthony Weiner: Candidate for Mayor

Mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner at his first campaign appearance at the 125th subway stop in Harlem.
(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

Former NY Congressman and candidate for the Democratic mayoral nomination Anthony Weiner discusses his candidacy, and the key issues on the campaign trail from the calls for an NYPD Inspector General to his call to make all city contracts public.

It is not fair to lump these women into the same category as Mr. Weiner. Neither is it fair to lump all of them in with each other. Some, like Ms. Cordova, had no intention of exchanging explicit messages with a then-married man, but since it was the Tweet to her that exposed the whole sordid state of affairs, she is inextricably linked to them.

Even for those who were at one time apparently willing participants in these exchanges, the power differential involved must be kept in mind. Here were women who were fervent about politics and had great respect for a man who was an outspoken leader of their causes, who then initiated sexually charged conversations with them. I am extremely hesitant to assign equal blame to the women involved. To me this is more akin to harassment by a superior than an affair.

To me, Mr. Weiner's most revealing moment was his characterization of his downfall - in NYT magazine's fawning expository on him in April - as the result of "one fateful Tweet". Not years of secret exchanges with multiple young women eventually under the nose of his own wife, but the single Tweet that brought him down - *THAT* was his mistake.

Unless Mr. Weiner can admit that his mistake was years of selfishness, dishonesty, and callous disregard for the people who respected him in the pursuit of stuffing his own ego, he is not fit in my eyes to hold ANY office, much less the mayoralty of our greatest city.

@ladyjay114: Think much? You are digging your own pit. You are part of the problem. If stronger heads prevail, there will be a better world for women, and for all people, that you had no hand in creating. "Lady" jay is an apt name. Keep doing "Lord" jay's bidding, and see where it gets you.

Appalled! I am simply appalled that this blow-hard is running for mayor! He is great at seeming to champion progressive issues, but look at what he did to the 9th Congressional District. He left his constituents with a right-wing Republican and less representation! And his downfall is really seriously gross -- the stupidity (is he that ignorant of social media?) and crudeness (can his wife really stand by her man after that?) of the incident, the lying for a week before the truth came out -- the guy is really, really not someone that New Yorkers need to lead this city. What's going to happen, more than likely, is that he's not going to win, but he's going to split the ticket. He's self-serving and power-hungry. If he had any grace, he would leave public life. Lhota is laughing all the way to the polls.

I have been using the internet for almost twenty years now and I have NEVER used it to exchange explicit emails, pictures or texts with ANYONE. These women chose to have intimite conversations with Mr. Weiner and all parties got caught. Also all parties have to deal with the consequences. I have zero sympathy with those ladies in the article.

"To Weiner supporters, where is your CIVIC PRIDE? Do you really want NY to become the laughingstock of the nation? Don’t you people have any sense of decency?"

So did voters in South Carolina, Louisiana and Minnesota become laughingstocks when they re-elected Mark Sanford, David Vitter and Larry Craig respectively? I love it... its only a "scandal" when the Democrats do it.

Please ask Mr. Weiner to explain how what he did differs from flashing? I don't understand the apparent quandary over classifying what he did using emails, particularly in assigning moral value to it. Just because modern technology has provided flashers with a new venue, his urge and the action he took on it is indistinguishable from those that have always characterized flashers.

Would we even consider nominating or electing someone with a documented history of flashing, had he not availed himself of the internet's way of allowing even the most cowardly flashers to be effective? Would it have made any difference if the victim had not pressed charges?

Maybe the better question is whether we'd seriously consider Christine Quinn's nomination, were we to learn she'd flashed someone - unsolicited and unwanted. My guess is people would be calling for her resignation from her current position, and that would be the end of her political career.

Finally: Mr. Weiner seeks to redirect attention to his "real" goal -- helping the middle class of NYC. Since women are slightly more than 50% of the general population, and given that mostly the highest income population is male, this suggests he wants to help women who are middle class. How are we to assess what a flasher considers that women "need"? Will one of his election promises be providing NYC women with his email address so they can be sure to put it on their "blocked" list?

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elaine from despairsvilleI am so angry at Anthony Weiner that I get physically ill thinking about him and his crap. How dare he take the respect and trust that people on the liberal democratic side of the aisle were proud to give him and throw it away on self-indulgent egocentric nonsense. He abused his office by being truly offensive to women who reached out to him because of his office. To me, there is no coming back from that to serve in any public office. This run for office just shows his insatiable need for attention. Using his wife and child in that ad was also in poor taste. Shame on him and shame on his if we vote for him. Can't we do better than this? Let's show him and the city that we want better, we deserve better and we won't settle for less. There are many other non-public ways to serve.

WHAT? WHAT? WINENER doesn't want to identify ANYTHING he's do to address women's interests OF ANY KIND? THAT'S a change of tune from tweeting several of them photos of his genitals. And why, pray tell, will he "abstain" from addressing women's issues? Because he has a sophisticated ideological position concerning women's gender! Right.

I can't believe this misogynistic, lying FLASHER is being viewed as a viable candidate, and a democratic candidate no less, for mayor. He should long ago have apologized and tried to explain to WOMEN what his OWN ISSUES are that caused him to take this action using his PROFESSIONAL TWITTER ACCOUNT AS A PERSON HOLDING GOVERNMENT OFFICE, and how he now views this action and its impact on women, constituents, and the public. He should also have apologized, not in an empty way but in a sincere and thoughtful way, to everyone who wanted to know why a LIAR, a person who repeatedly engaged in DECEPTIVE PRACTICES," did what he did while holding PUBLIC OFFICE. Lastly, he should explain how all this relates to his chutzpah in now so unapologetically seeking the office of MAYOR of NYC. His action was demeaning to women and a betrayal of the the public. Period. He has *never* apologized for the *acutal* nature of his offense.

I echo the concerns of two posters on the BL show at the end of May (please see next post).

Yes Jgarbuz, the good old days... when an uninsured could get in and out of a GP doctor's office for less than$25-50. When your doctor knew you, when they looked at you when you were talking instead of their laptops, when they could stitch you up right in the office instead of sending to the uberexpensive emergency room... when a simple visit to get a recommendation to a specialist (5 minutes) didn't cost $285.

This guy clearly hasn't done the math. He's just hinging his hopes on these policies saving money ("if it doesn't it't not working" That's comforting) but hasn't really figured out the funding model. You go single payer you're just shifting costs vs. solving the issues. Lots of great buzz words ("fairness") no substance.

I gave you a pass in connection with your episode of sending pictures for yourself, and supported you initally in your bid for mayor.

However, in view of the scathing article published about you in the NY Times and its discussion of your very poor congressional record, and your "grandstanding" and refusal to support issues for which you couldn't be the front man, I can no longer support you at all.

Come on Ian, cut it out. Weiner will be a horrific standard bearer on the issues you care about because of all his baggage. NY deserves far better than Weiner and Weiner does not deserve a second chance.

It's still unclear how someone would acquire health insurance when working at a small business (5 employees). I've been with my employer over 3 yrs and cannot qualify for any insurance. Ex. I make "too much" to apply for Healthy NY and have worked to long with the employer to qualify for Freelancers'. Desperately need help with this and am not hearing any answers from Weiner or anyone else.

I saw the socialist "single payer" system in Israel in the 1980s. Thanks, no thanks! It's a great system when there is nothing seriously wrong with you.I say, go back to the free enterprise system, as in the 1950s, when doctors worked for themselves and charged what the market could bear. And there were charity hospitals for the indigent, and doctors had to put in many hours a week in them working pro-bono.

People get the government they deserve, but they had better be careful what they wish for. If they vote for this Wiener, they'll get what they deserve.

Thank you for bringing it up, Brian. But we all know the timing of delaying it till after the midterms stinks of politics. They didn't want the big premium increases and emplyment problems showing themselves before the election. It also gives a free pass to the President since he is no longer up for reelection and we are left with a mess. I can't understand how a law passed by the congress and signed into law can be delayed, or provisions not enforced by the whim of the president and we are left holding the bag again.

Can you please ask him if he intends to rip out all the (expletive) bike lanes as he stated to Bloomberg? Being as his major donors want them gone does he fell that he is beholden to them or to the people of NY?

Expecting US businesses to provide health insurance puts them at an unfair disadvantage to businesses in other countries that provide single payer to their citizens. It's like a special tax on US businesses. Why do we want our employers involved in our health care decisions???

Way to toe the party line. The delay is to fix the issues in Affordable Care Act? They rammed it through, have known about the issues and now the delay is purely political. So listen to the candidate hand out the party BS and ask if you want this guy as the mayor.

Why no coverage on the delay of a key provision of the affordable care act? This was done unilaterally by the President until after the mid term elections for purely political reasons. You'd think we the audience of this program would want some answers on this one.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Weiner a few Sundays ago while he was doing the church stops in Brooklyn and was one kf the photogrphers in ENY. That said, I am a strong supporter of Mr Weiner. When he was running for mayor the last time he was the best canidate with the best agenda on housing. I have had discussions about him during his absence since the twtter pics, and some are upset that he was not vocal enough after stepping down from Congress. I think this is the best thing that could have happened to him. While other city council members have fallen to shame in their own destruction, Mr. Weiner was able to get time to regroup and study the issues as a citizen and come back and reclaim his role as viable canidate. I mean really who is better? John Lui is his only concern. He has my vote.

Having spoken to friends recently in California, Florida and Pennsylvania ... they are incredulous that this guy is still running and is actually supported by anyone. They don't know what is more hilarious .... his total lack of self-awareness and "class", or the knucklehead small-town Democrats here who cannot not come up with another credible candidate.

As the gossip columnist says, "Only in New York, kids." We fool ourselves that we don't look ridiculous.

Because NY is and will forever be the greatest city in the world (the ultimate shining city on a hill) it must not and cannot sully or tarnish its reputation by electing Weiner as its next mayor.

To Weiner supporters, where is your CIVIC PRIDE? Do you really want NY to become the laughingstock of the nation? Don’t you people have any sense of decency?

Weiner violated the public trust in a truly sickening manner and only apologized when he was caught after a long period of stonewalling and dragging Congress thru the muck of his disturbed psyche. He deserves to be swept into the trash receptacle of history.

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